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The challenges of choosing a career in the era of artificial intelligence
Choosing your child’s future is, today, an extremely complicated mission. The speed at which things are changing is dizzying, and the emergence of artificial intelligence will lead to dramatic transformations in many fields. If before the path was clear – high school and/or college and then a stable job, now, everything is in continuous movement and adaptation. About stability… I have no idea when we will be able to discuss it. The world seems to be in a constant state of instability for some time.
Until recently, if you went to the Faculty of Economic Sciences, you became an economist and had an almost guaranteed job. There was a lot of work, but you certainly didn’t end up on the streets. If you chose the Faculty of Law, you could become a notary, lawyer or legal adviser and find a decent job in a company where you could practice your profession.
IT was the field of “gods”. Graduates of computer science faculties have always been in high demand, and the good ones received huge salaries compared to other professions. You had a good chance of leaving the country and working for renowned companies. If your child had artistic talents, you could guide them towards the Faculty of Fine Arts. Finding a job was more difficult, but they did something special, became an artist, graphic designer, designer or maybe a landscape artist.
If they were passionate about film directing, you could send them to UAT, hoping they would become the next Spielberg or Coppola. For those who wanted to combine art with engineering, architecture was an excellent option. The Conservatory was another option for creative children. And if you wanted a prestigious profession for your child, medicine was the sure way. Even a family doctor had a very respected place in society. Psychology was another viable choice.
But, with massive technologization, the advance of automation and the emergence of artificial intelligence, all these traditional professions will become perfectly replaceable in the not too distant future. Yes, all those mentioned above and many others. Why would the world need economists when financial management processes can be fully automated? Why would it need lawyers when many of their tasks can be taken over by algorithms, at least until the final verdict is pronounced? Speaking of the final verdict, I am absolutely terrified by the thought that, at some point, this verdict could be given by an artificial intelligence application. And that moment is possible, although it seems taken from a sci-fi movie.
Programmers, once very well paid, are already facing competition from AI applications such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemini and many others. They can generate complex code, making a programmer’s job much easier or even replacing programmers to a very large extent. Why would the world need graphic designers when applications such as DALL-E, MidJourney or Scout can quickly create 2D and 3D graphics?
Music, the domain of talented composers, can already be created in minutes with programs such as Suno.ai, Udeio.com, MuseNet or Jukedeck. You write a prompt, choose the musical genre, and the melody and lyrics are automatically generated. In the same way, directors and creators of movies or video clips are no longer indispensable, when programs such as FlexClip, invideo AI, Kaiber and Pika can do this. The launch of the first film completely generated by AI is closer than we imagine. TV presenters will be able to be replaced by virtual characters who do not ask for money, are always in a good mood and work 24/7.
Landscape designers and interior designers are also in danger, as AI applications can quickly generate design solutions for gardens or homes based on pictures you upload to a website. Even family doctors and psychologists will face challenges, as AI applications can provide accurate diagnoses and prescriptions, and virtual assistants can at least partially take over the functions of psychologists and psychotherapists. The new generation, used to communicating through screens, may prefer this type of contact.
Nutritionists are not spared either. AI applications can already create personalized diets. A picture of your lunch sent to an AI application can tell you how many calories it has, what nutrients it contains and if you have contraindicated foods on your plate.
Under these conditions, is it worth sending your child to college? Most of the traditional professions that involve higher education seem to lose their meaning in the not too distant future. Maybe high school will be enough, and learning a practical trade like bricklaying, painting, plumbing or electrician could be more advantageous than a university degree. It seems more advantageous already. A few months ago, I was talking to a painter, who was telling me that he earns at least €2,000 per month. A hardworking and skilled tiler can earn double. These professions are essential and harder to automate, offering a stability that other fields can no longer guarantee.
So what future do you choose for your child? Which school do you guide them to go to? What profession do you have them learn? How quickly and easily will they find a job? Will they have a decent salary? Is it still worth going to college? If so, which one?
If you have a child at the end of high school, in the 11th or 12th grade, you are probably already facing a big dilemma regarding the choice of college. During this period, you have to look into the future at least 5-7 years ahead and try to estimate what professions will be in high demand. In a world where technology and artificial intelligence are evolving at a rapid pace, it is difficult to make exact predictions. However, you will try to identify some areas that could provide stability and opportunities.
But what if your child is 4-5 years old now? This is an even greater challenge. You have to think ahead for a period of 20 years. For me, it would be impossible to make such predictions accurately.
Parents will be increasingly desperate and stuck in the face of these decisions about their children’s future. It is clear that we need to completely rethink our approach to education and career. Traditional professions lose their relevance, and new technologies require adaptability and flexibility. One thing is certain: we must be prepared for a constantly changing future.
